Quality · sampling, first article, colour approval

Sampling and First Article Approval for Aluminium Extrusion

Q: Can I approve a sample first?

Yes. On a new die with anodising plan 30-40 days to the finished sample; on an existing die and mill finish plan 12-20 days. Production ships only after written release.

Q: How do I track the order?

Ask for stage dates from DFM through FAI, colour approval, mass release and cargo ready. Keep one revision number on every status mail.

Plan 30–40 days to a finished first article with a new die and anodising, or 12–20 days on an existing die and mill finish — then hold production until dimensions, finish and colour are signed. Sampling is a gated sequence, not a free extra bar in the carton.

New die + anodising: 30–40 days to load
Existing die, mill: 12–20 days
Formats: PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES
Read: 9 minutes

Quality inspector measuring first-article aluminium extrusion samples with a digital caliper

Short answer

First-article approval for aluminium extrusion is a written gate on the purchase order: named sample quantity, inspection list, colour standard and a hold on mass metres until you sign. On a new die with anodising, plan 30–40 days to load the sample; on an existing die and mill finish, plan 12–20 days. Die making adds 7–12 days before the press when the tool is new. Prototype cost in 2026 USD is the sum of die (if new), pilot metres, finish, inspection and express freight — not a single opaque “sample fee”. Colour is approved on anodised or coated chips against a named standard before the production bath runs. Fabrication on sample parts holds cut length ±0.5 mm, hole position ±0.2 mm and end square within 0.3 mm unless the drawing tightens those call-outs.

Colour is approved on finished chips against a named standard — not guessed from a mill-finish bar.

How do i approve a first article before mass production

Write the sample quantity, the inspection list and an explicit production hold on the PO; measure the first article against the same revision used for the die and the quote, then release mass metres only after written approval.

A first article is not “a few bars from the press”. It is an identified piece (or short set) with a dimensional report, surface check and, when required, a colour chip. Check critical dimensions across more than one position along the bar, plus straightness and twist over the delivered length. Run at least one assembly fit if the profile mates to hardware or panels. Keep the same drawing revision on the sample tag, the report and the approval email. If the sample fails, decide whether the fix is die correction, process tweak or a drawing change — each path has a different calendar.

Check	What to measure	Evidence	Fail mode	Owner
Section CTQs	Marked dims vs drawing	FAI / CMM sheet	Die or press issue	QA + buyer
Straightness / twist	Over full sample length	Straight-edge / dial	Stretch / cooling	Plant
Surface	Die lines, pickup, marks	Photos + visual class	Die condition / packing	QA
Finish / colour	Vs approved chip	Chip + lot card	Bath or alloy	Buyer + finish
Secondary ops	Holes, taps, ends	±0.5 / ±0.2 / 0.3 mm	Fixture / program	Fab
Assembly fit	Hardware / mating parts	Build note	Tolerance stack	Engineering

What is the cost of a prototype run before mass production

Prototype cost in 2026 USD is itemised as die (if new), pilot metres, finish, inspection and freight — usually low thousands for an extruded trial on a production die, far less for a CNC-machined fit model that skips tooling.

Two paths exist. A CNC-machined prototype from billet proves envelope and assembly in days with no die, but it does not prove press fill, die lines or anodise response. An extruded sample from the production die proves the real process and leaves you with the tool you need for the 500 m new-die MOQ (or the 150 m existing-die floor). Ask every quote to break out: die line, trial/correction, sample metres, anodising or powder, FAI report, and express freight. Do not accept a single “sample fee” that hides whether die correction is included. For how the die fee later spreads into the metre price see how die cost amortises per meter; for the production floors see minimum order with a new die.

How do i approve a colour sample before production

Approve colour on finished anodised or coated chips (or short bars) against a named standard and lighting condition, then lock that chip to the production bath lot before mass metres run.

Mill-finish metal is not a colour sample. Alloy, temper and surface condition change how anodising reads; powder shade depends on the batch and the substrate. Send or agree a master (RAL / Pantone / customer chip), receive laboratory or line chips, view them under the lighting your customer will use, and sign one chip as the release master. Keep that chip with the PO revision. A colour change after die proving does not need a new die, but it does need a new finish sample and a hold on the production bath. Special colours can reintroduce a finishing minimum even when extrusion MOQ is already cleared.

What happens at each step

The sampling path is drawing intake and DFM, die cut when needed, trial extrusion, dimensional first article, finish and colour sample, written approval, then mass release — with calendar driven by die status and finish.

Drawing review catches wall balance and missing CTQs before steel is ordered. Die making adds 7–12 days on a new tool — see die making adds 7–12 days. Trial extrusion produces the metal for FAI; finish and colour sit after temper. Ownership and exclusive-use terms for the die should already be written — see who owns the die. Only after written sample approval do the bulk metres start; shipping unapproved bars to “save a week” usually returns as scrap and a second press booking.

Step	Planning window	Output	Gate	If skipped
Drawing + DFM	Days at intake	Approved rev	Buyer sign-off	Die rework later
Die making (new)	7–12 days typical	Trial-ready die	Tooling PO paid	No metal
Trial + FAI	Inside 12–20 / 30–40 d	Measured sample	Dimensional OK	Bad mass lot
Colour / finish sample	Finish window	Signed chip	Colour OK	Wrong shade on site
Mass release	After written OK	Production metres	PO hold lifted	Schedule slip

RFQ checklist — sampling

Drawing package — PDF + DWG/DXF (+ STEP if machined), one revision.
Sample quantity — metres or pieces named on the PO.
FAI list — CTQs, straightness, surface class, secondary ops.
Colour master — RAL / Pantone / chip; lighting note.
Hold language — no mass ship before written approval.
Cost breakout — die, trial, finish, FAI, express freight.
MOQ after approval — 150 m existing / 500 m new.
Payment / Incoterms — T/T 30/70 or L/C; FOB/CIF/DAP/DDP.

Put the approval gate on the PO before the press runs. A verbal “looks fine” is not a release.

Four sampling mistakes

Approving mill finish as colourAnodise and powder must be judged on finished chips under agreed light.

One-bar “sample” with no FAI listWithout CTQs you have a souvenir, not a first article.

Starting mass before written OKUnapproved lots become scrap and a second press booking.

Opaque sample feeInsist on die / trial / finish / freight lines in 2026 USD.

Related on this site

how die cost amortises per meter — tooling share after the pilot
minimum order with a new die — 150 m existing vs 500 m new
die making adds 7–12 days — before first-article metal
who owns the die — title after the trial

Terms used in this article

First article (FAI): Identified sample measured against the drawing before mass metres are released.
Colour chip / master: Signed finish sample that locks the production bath or oven shade.
Pilot / prototype run: Short extruded length from the production die used for approval, not the bulk MOQ.
DFM: Design for manufacturability review before the die is cut.
Production hold: PO language that blocks mass shipment until written sample approval.

Questions buyers ask

What do you need from me to start?

A revision-controlled drawing package (PDF + DWG/DXF, STEP if machined), the sample quantity, the FAI checklist, any colour master, and PO language that holds mass metres until approval. Alloy, lengths and finish must match the production intent.

Can I approve a sample first?

Yes — that is the default gate on custom and first-release work. On a new die with anodising plan 30–40 days to the finished sample; on an existing die and mill finish plan 12–20 days. Production quantities ship only after your written release.

What happens if my drawing changes?

Bump the revision. Changes before die cut update engineering; changes after die cut may need tool rework and a new sample. A colour-only change needs a new finish chip, not a new die. Partial FAI can re-check only the affected characteristics.

How do I track the order?

Ask for stage dates: DFM done, die in cut, trial pressed, FAI sent, colour chip sent, approval received, mass released, cargo ready. Keep one revision number on every status mail so the sample and the bulk lot stay tied.

Also searched as: aluminium extrusion sampling, first article approval extrusion, prototype run cost before mass production, approve colour sample anodising, aluminium extrusion FAI process, sample gate before production profiles.

Request a first-article plan with your RFQ

Send the drawing package, name the sample quantity and colour master, and ask for an itemised 2026 USD breakout of die, trial, finish and freight. We will return a stage calendar with a written production hold.

Send drawings for a sample plan